Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has started blocking unregistered Virtual Private Networks countrywide. According to sources, PTA will filter the virtual private networks behind a firewall system; some of them might be temporarily blocked until they get whitelisted.
They say the unregistered virtual private networks seriously threaten security because they give access to sensitive data and possibly illegal or objectionable material. As a part of its function, the PTA is committed to protecting public and organizational information and restricting access to illicit material. The procedure is nothing new; VPN registration has been a priority for the PTA since 2010. Under this process, so far, around 20,500 VPNs have been registered, and over 1,422 companies have received whitelisted VPNs for legitimate use.
PTA
VPN Registration Policies
The PTA clarified that it wants to speed up the registration and whitelisting of VPNs, similar to the laws governing countries like China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and many more where unregistered VPNs are not allowed. The UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia also have strict laws for VPN use, which is largely restricted to business purposes, PTA sources confirmed. In Pakistan, no such restriction applies to VPNs for business purposes either.
The latest moves have cut off access for many Pakistani users who rely on free VPNs. Many are complaining that free VPNs do not open the social media platform X; they resent this rude blackout. This alternative platform, once known as Twitter, is still banned by the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is on record as still being opposed to it. Nevertheless, according to news reports, he is said to post under X on a VPN.
The PTA could not be reached for comment on the VPN restrictions because there was no official word on the latest development.
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